Another Cinderella Story
by knick-knack-15
Summary: Trailer inside! I hope you like it, but I detest Hilary Duff, so no worries. This is a Trelsi! Don't see much of those, now do you? ON SEVERE HIATUS!
1. Trailer

**My newest story, and I hope you like it! Now, don't get me wrong, I hate Hilary Duff as much as the next person, but I thought that this would be a good plot. Here's the trailer!**

_Italics are the character's doings/ music_

**Bold is the narrarator.**

_That really high-pitched, tinkly I'm-a-little-princess, magical music begins to play..._

**All Kelsi wants is a little respect...**

_Kelsi is tripped in the hallway and books and sheet music scatter across the dirty floors. She rushes to clean up the mess as people laugh._

**A nicer car...**

_Kelsi slams her forehead against the steering wheel of her puke green Gremlin as it sputters and dies in the school parking lot. _

_"Let's move it!" someone honks behind her._

**And a _real _prince charming.**

_"Is that Jason over there?" Taylor points across the hall to Kelsi's alleged boyfriend with his hand in a girl's back pocket._

_"For some strange reason, that doesn't surprise me." she slams her locker shut._

**Until Troy Bolton enters the picture...**

_"Why can't I get someone like him?" Kelsi places her chin in her hands and gazes across the cafeteria and straight into the inevitable world of Troy, the Basketball Boy._

_"Are you kidding me?" The girl sitting next to her laughs and elbows Kelsi. "Just give it up while you're still not attatched." she rolls her eyes._

**And shows her a _real _fairytale...**

_"I want to know..." Troy takes Kelsi's hand. "Who's behind the mask?"_

_His thumbs slowly make their way towards the elastic on her beautifully beaded mask..._

**The only thing standing between her and true love...**

_Troy playfully swings her around before placing her on the ground and pressing her against a wall._

_He tilts her chin towards his lips and the screen fades out just before their kiss..._

**Is her.**

_"I may be some quiet, tiny little push-over, Troy, but I certainly deserve better than this." Kelsi shakes her head. "To me... you really were a prince." she fights a huge swell of tears._

_"Kelsi, I swear I had nothing to do with this..."_

**Real personalities are exposed...**

_"Just give it up, Kelsi." Gabriella shakes her head. "Troy will never be yours."_

**Friendships are created...**

_"Don't worry." Taylor squeezes Kelsi's hand. "I've got your back."_

**And _someone_ will end up getting the guy in the end...**

_"Are you kidding me?" Troy laughs with Chad. "I will never fall in love. Trust me on this one."_

**But who?**

_Kelsi takes her first steps down the carpeted staircase to the party below. The entire mass of people suddenly freeze and turn their attention to the Cinderella beauty making her way down._

_"Dude..." Troy elbows Chad in his Three Musketeers costume. "Who. Is that?" he asks in awe._

**Oleysa Rulin**

_Kelsi pours her heart, soul and mind into her fingers racing across her piano._

**Zac Efron**

_The basketball slices through the net and Troy falls to his knees at the foul line in silentvictory._

**They make real love happen in...**

_Troy freezes at half court as the rest of his team rushes up the court on defense. He spots Kelsi preparing to leave. "Kelsi!" he races past the benches to the bleachers._

_"Troy, what are you doing?" Coach shouts after him._

_The screen fades into the title..._

**Another Cinderella Story**

_"I think I was wrong." Troy shakes his head and clamps a hand to the side of Kelsi's face. "I think I can fall in love."_

**July 2006!**

_Picks up a milkshake from the closest table and empty's the glass onto Gabriella's chest. "Whoops!" Kelsi covers her mouth with her free hand. "You're not going to cry, are you?"_

**I know the trailer was short and everything, but tell me** **what you think! I still hate Hilary Duff, though.**


	2. Chapter 1 So You Had A Bad Day

**Thanks for all of the reviews! And for those of you who like Hilary Duff...**

**Don't worry...**

**I forgive you.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own High School Musical. **

Have you ever felt so desperate, used, and hurt that any way of getting out seems possible? That even fairy tales seem like real issues? Take Cinderella for example. She was worked to the bone, bitched to by her step mother, and finally got her revenge when she stole her sisters' man away. That seems pretty real to me. But not as magical if you're in _my _shoes.

_And they lived happily ever after. The End._

How come that can't always be the case? The prince swoops down, grabs the princess, slays the dragon, then they live happily ever after. The End. Sounds pretty simple to me. But not if the prince happens to be the _hottest _thing to ever wear a polo, the princess is just the girl with the stupid hat, and the dragon transforms into a rhinestone-wearing prep.

Want to hear _my _Cinderella Story?

* * *

"Where did we go wrong with her?" Taylor shook her head and looked in disgust across the cafeteria. Gabriella had turned into one of _them_. In a matter of weeks she had become insanely popular, leaving everything that truly mattered, her _real _friends, behind. She said we were overreacting when she one day walked right past our table and sat with new people. But you would 'overreact' too if suddenly, your best friend was too good to just sit down and eat with you. What I found unbelievable is that she could be the biggest snob in the world, and Troy still had a thing for her. Bad choice. 

"Don't ask me. The only thing I did was be nice to her. And how does she repay us? By ditching." My mind wandered to the thought that maybe the old Gabriella was hiding somewhere under the rhinestones and the giant gust of pride she carried around. It's not like I was going to have an 'intervention' and attempt to 'save' Gabriella from the evils of popularity. She would figure that out for herself, and come crawling back to us on her freakishly high heels. That would be awesome.

"I believe in kharma." Ryan added. "One day she's going to get it so bad..." he narrowed his eyes. I think out of all of us, Ryan had it in the most for her. She had once gotten another popular to steal his bright, glittery clothes from the locker room, just because she could.He was stuck in there until six in the evening, and Gabriella got away with it, scratch-free. If I were Ryan, I would have already torn out a few locks of Gabriella's beautiful curls, not just sit on my ass and wait for kharma to kick in.

But really, what affect do I have? It's like I'm not even _there _to some people. I'm always knocked around, whether it be in school or at home by my bitchy, plastic stepmother. To her, I need to lift my butt off of my piano bench and help more around my dad's old diner. But after Reno tore it apart and redecorated it, I've always felt uneasy working there. Especially after the day Gabriella and the rest of her friends showed up. She 'accidentally' dropped her napkin container to the floor and asked me to pick it up. Next thing I knew, a cold stream of soda was on its way down my neck and soaking my hair. And her annoying words ring in my head to this day, "Whoops! You're not gonna cry, are you?"

"You've got to be kidding me, Ryan." Sharpay rolled her eyes. "There is no way that anyone would ever punish _Gabriella_. She's one of those people that authorities hate to see upset. If you want revenge, do it yourself." Sharpay had once told me that she admires Gabriella for becoming socially contagious so quickly. The only reason she still loathes Gabriella with a white, firey passion is because of what she did to Ryan.

I just rested my chin in my hands. Polluting out lunch area with talk of Gabriella was just a waste of time, because deep down, all of us knew there was no way of bringing her down from her fantasy world of popularity. Hopefully, one day soon she would understand. "Just drop it." I shook my head and looked down to the giant red 'E' painted in the center of our table. "She's not even our Gabriella anymore."

But what I was still stuck on, was how a dragon like her still managed to win over a prince like _Troy Bolton_.

* * *

I slipped into the giant mass of the student body leaving the lunchroom in time to see Gabriella dragging Troy along bythe collar of his polo. I didn't even want to know what that was all about. As my train of thought veered off of the tracks and slammed into Troy, I didn't notice the combat boot sticking out in the middle of the bee line to my locker. I stumbled over the leg and my books and sheet music scattered across the dirty floors of the hallway. Snickers floated above me as I scrambled to clean up my mess. And I always thought that when you laugh, something's supposed to be _funny_. 

Now, if this were some cheesy modern day fairy tale, my prince charming would have crouched onto the floor with me to pick up my books. When the last text was left on the ground, we would reach for it at the same time and our hands would touch and we would end up looking headlong into each others' eyes. I glanced up just to check if my prince was on his way, but no such luck. But I did find a sticky wad of bubble gum on the cover of my science book.

I pushed my glasses up to the bridge of my nose and continued my walk to my locker. Did they seriously think that a stumble in the hallway was going to lower my self-esteem? It's happened too many times already. Because if you look up 'push-over' in the dictionary, there I am.

"Isn't that Jason over there?" Taylor pointed across the hallway as I approached my locker. How was it that if you looked good, smelled expensive, and had a nice-looking butt, that you always got the guy? I gave the mystery girl a once-over, noticing Jason's hand hidden in her back pocket. She flipped her brown hair over her shoulder and gave herself a smile in the mirror before shutting her locker. They turned toward us, and I locked gazes with Jason.

Hold on, was this the same guy who threw my favorite bowler hat in the garbage after Triple Threat Day? The same guy who almost coaxed me into getting contact lenses so it would be easier to kiss me? Looks like he's moved on. Jason held my gaze until the girl ushered him along. He smiled to her and they started down the opposite direction of the hallway. "For some strange reason, that doesn't surprise me." I slammed my locker shut.

I guess it was over.

* * *

"Oh, come on..." I groaned. Named after the really evil gremlin in the 1984 flick, _my _puke green gremlin convertible, Stripe, shook violently in the stream of students leaving the school. This couldn't be happening. Not here. It sputtered once, then stopped completely. I tried turning the key in the ignition. Nothing. "Come on, Stripe, _please_..." I whined. The stream of traffic was moving and cars behind me began honking. I slammed my forehead against the steering wheel in defeat. The wail of my horn mixed in with the rest. 

"Let's move it!" The person in the car behind me shouted. I glanced into the rearview mirror to see Gabriella impatiently twisting locks of her hair around her finger. Her elbow rested on the door of her Corvette as she honked again. "Move!" she screamed.

What a perfect way to end the school day. I lost another part of my good friend, my dignity, my boyfriend, and my car! Oh, how I couldn't wait to get home, slip into some tacky pink apron, and wait on tables at my stepmother's frilly diner.

_And they lived happily ever after. The End._

Yeah, _Whatever_.

**There it is! How'd you like it? Tell me in a review, please! PLEASE?**


	3. Chapter 2 The Song Of The Dumped

**You know, I was so afraid that I was going to have to open this chapter with, "This chapter is coming to you right from my hospital bed!" But thankfully it was only a stomachache. But my arm still stings from the stupid IV they poked in my arm, so please excuse the errors found in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer-I don't own High School Musical, or a Cinderella Story, but that doesn't even count as a movie, considering the fact thatHilary Duff starred in it. I could think of a bunch of other blonde actresses that would have been perfect for the part.**

**It was almost as if you could press a 'pause' button and savor that one moment, that one expression on her face forever. It was upsetting, yet priceless at the same time. She gets everyting she wants, well, except for me, and for once, Gabriella Montez was beaten to the punch. I glanced to Chad on my right, then to Jason. They both looked as shocked as Gabriella.**

**"You've got to be kidding me." she cocked an eyebrow sarcastically. "Are you feeling okay, Troy?" she reached across the table and pressed her palm to my forehead. It was the small things like that, and her newly found obnoxious attitude that I hated about her. And she definitely deserved this**

**"You're... a bit of a handful, Gabriella." I shrugged and pulled away from her, falling back onto the leather interior of the booth. "Maybe it's time to... explore other options? I don't know, I'm not really good at breaking up with people." I explained. But truthfully, I just didn't want to see her upset. She had had me wrapped around her perfectly manicured finger since the time we were given the parts as Arnold and Minnie. It's been a year, and I'm _still _somewhat under her trance.**

**Gabriella rolled her eyes and slumped across from me. "Fine then." she sighed. "But you _do _know that the senior's Halloween dance is like, a _week _away, and everyone's already paired up. So when I have to steal Kendall Richards' boyfriend to take me, I'll make sure she blames _you_." she snarled. Wow. We were only two minutes into our breakup, and she was already treating me like I was one of the people she stole homework from.**

**"Hey, I wouldn't mind taking Kendall to the dance." I fired back. Gabriella narrowed her eyes at me. I knew I had hit a nerve. Gabriella had secretly hated Kendall but told everyone she loved her, just to be a good sport. Gabriella was acting as if the entire world was a popularity contest, and she would _die _if she lost. That's pretty pathetic for a girl I thought was so sweet.**

**"You might as well take _Kelsi Neilsen _over there!" Gabriella exploded, pointing behind her. Just over my ex-girlfriend's shoulder, the quiet pianist looked up from refilling napkin containers, wondering why we had been discussing her. Gabriella turned to her and smiled grimly. "Can we _help _you with something?" she snapped. "God, just go back to being the pathetic person you truly are!"**

**Ouch. I ran my hand through my hair in embarrassment. Gabriella was making a scene. Again. Customers at nearby tables nervously glanced in our direction, silently wishing they could scoot away from the shouting girl. And I didn't blame them. She rose out of her seat, pointing a finger in Kelsi's direction. "This is all _your _fault!**"

**"Right, Gabriella, just place the blame on the waitress." I rolled my eyes. "Sit down. _I'm _the one dumping you." I hissed. I glanced back to Kelsi. She looked back down to the piles of napkins in front of her. When Gabriella finally plopped back down, she spoke again. "Like I said, expect an angry Kendall Richards' at your door." She sneered before throwing her bag over her shoulder and standing up again. "See ya later, _bastard_." Gabriella barked at me one last time before storming out of the diner.**

**"That went well." Chad laughed. But I was too fed up to argue with him. I really, really hoped Gabriella wouldn't be a bitch and create more drama. I hoped she would just shut up, and for once, accept that she wasn't going to get her way. "Are you really going to go for Kendall? Because of you aren't, I sure will." We're not even allowed to _mention _Taylor McKessie around Chad anymore, or else he'll become mysteriously quiet and pissed. And I'm not sure if I'm ready to know why.**

**"Go for it, man." I brought out my wallet and began pulling out crisp one dollar bills. "I only said that to get Gabriella angry. You know how she is about crap like that." I sighed. Gabriella truly was too much for me to handle.**

* * *

**Angry e-mails flooded my Inbox.**

_You honsestly think that you could dump Gabriella and get away with it? God, the whole world is going to hate you, Troy!_

**And in the tiniest font possible, Adele, Gabriella's second-in-command, finished her e-mail with:**

_Call me!_

**So she was angry enough to predict that the whole world despised me, but not enough to go behind her best friend's back and ask me out? Why was I not surprised? The stupidest rumors were spreading through thesenior class like wildfire, and not even Chad and Jason were trying to correct them. They were just there to watch the drama unfold.**

**At last, I found the e-mail that I would dread the most. Gabriella's:**

_You should check your voice mail, you know. Kendall's pretty pissed. But you deserve it Troy, because all you think about is yourself. What about MY reputation? What about ME? Dumping me was the worst decision you will ever make. EVER._

**I truly thought that my eyes were going to bleed reading this piece of shit. So, I had broken up with her, _big deal_. It wasn't as if I had killed her mother. I still couldn't believe how her ego had swelled to the size of a blimp in a matter of weeks. Things like popularity and reputations were at the top of her list, and it all seemed so superficial.**

**"Troy..." Chad elbowed me. I glanced up to see Gabriella and the rest of her company gliding past her former lunch table to another one. Her eyes were locked on me before she turned her head back forward, slapping herself with her waves of dark brown hair. She somehow knew that I was reading her e-mail. "What about _me?_ What about _my _reputation?" Chad whined next to me, imitating Gabriella. The rest of the table busted into hysterics.**

**"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you..." Jason started. "Our hats finally arrived." I laughed at the memory of buying our feathered hats online in anticipation of the upcoming Halloween dance. "The Three Musketeers, right?" Jason asked. The other guys that filled our table looked on us with envy, wishing that they had come up with the idea first.**

**"What else would we go as? You're the one who said that chicks dig a man who carries a sword." Chad laughed. "I'm all for it." It was a done deal. We were going to the Halloween dance as the Three Musketeers, and not to mention, the talk of the century. At that point, I didn't care about the rumors. I was ready for a good time being _single_.**

**In fact, I was comfortable enough to think to myself, _screw _Gabriella.**

**Am I the only one out here that is sick of Gabriella always being pretrayed as the sweet good girl? I thought it was time for a change. PLEASE read and review, my arm's going numb!**


	4. Chapter 3 Just Kiss It Goodbye

**Sorry I don't update with this story as often, but this is one of my better ones. You can tell from all of the detail I try to put into it. My style of writing for each story is different. That's my beautiful excuse for not updating.**

**Disclaimer- HaHa, once, I was in a Barnes and Noble with a friend, and we were in the Mags section, and we found a _Self _mag, and Hilary Duff was on the cover, and next to her it said 'Find out Hilary's Diet Secret!' and before I even open the magazine, my friend goes, "Oh! I know! Puking!" It was soooo funny! HaHaHaHaHa...**

**HaHaHa...**

**HeHe...**

**...maybe you had to be there.**

"You saw the way she screamed my name, Taylor." I nervously flipped through a Columbia University brochure. But what was the point? According to Reno, colleges are out of the question, and that I'm only a senior. Little does she know, I'm out of here in by the end of July, whether she wants it or not. "It kinda freaked me out." I thought back to Gabriella springing out of her chair, telling me that it was _all my fault_, whatever _that was_. All I had done was re-stuff the napkin holders. "What do you think was going on?" I asked, turning to the next page of my brochure.

"I bet you that she came to realize that she's a stupid, bitchy, phony, and that no one likes her." Taylor laughed on the other end. When I didn't laugh back, Taylor continued. "On a more serious note, I heard that Troy dumped her. Did you see the way she shot him death glares at lunch today?" she asked. What I found confusing was how Taylor claimed to hate the populars, but she was still interested in everything that they did. But I think that deep down, _everyone _has a part of them that wishes they were openly adored by complete strangers.

"I'm sorry, I missed that. I was busy thinking of _where I'm going to get the money to repair my car!_" I explained. After four hours of waiting impatiently, a crane finally showed up at school the day Stripe died and moved him onto the football field, since I refused to have my beautiful Stripe towed. I Don't remember how many people flicked me off for holding up traffic, but I lost count after eleven.

"Just get a new one," Taylor said. "That'll be much easier." But there was no way _in hell _I was going to give up Stripe. My dad left me Stripe, which makes him extra important and special. I remember Dad tossing me the keys, and how I fit _just perfectly _in the drivers' seat. I remember taking ten minutes to start the car up, but it was worth waiting for. And it was when I nudged Gabriella's precious Covette once, cracking one of her brakelamps that I fell in love with Stripe. She never found out who did it.

"Are you kidding me?" I looked out my bedroom window to the driveway. Two silver convertibles similar to Gabriella's sat in front of Stripe. Stripe looked close to dead, and I know this isn't Herbie or anything, but I swear that cars have feelings. "My _dad _gave me that car, Taylor." this was the millionth time she was hearing this. "I'm not giving it up."

"You're so stubborn." Taylor brought that conversation to a halt and opened up another one. "So, do you know what you're going to the Halloween dance as?" she asked. Ever since we had seen the first orange and black poster in our all red-and-white hallways, we had been scrambling in search of the perfect costume. Taylor, of course, was going to throw on her lab coat and call it a day, but since this was going to be one of those nights where I wasn't going to be dressed in an apron, it _had _to special. "We could steal the Wildcat mascot for you..." Taylor laughed.

* * *

"Oh..." Taylor covered her mouth with her hand. Sharpay politely crossed her legs and pursed her lips together. "Kelsi... you look..." I hated the spotlight on me. If I _wanted _to be the center of attention, I would have opted to audition for plays, not just write them. If I _wanted _to be the center of attention, I would've given Jason the bitch slap he deserved, not just let him walk away without a scratch. And if I _wanted _to be the center of attention, I would have unzipped the white gown I was wearing and bought it. I twirled once in the mirror, sliding my hands down the delicately laced and beaded torso. "You see, the thing is..." Taylor was short on words. I looked that bad. I took two handfuls of the full skirt. 

"The thing is, I'm not getting _married_." I rolled my eyes behind the beaded mask that covered from the bridge of my nose and up. "I was going for a... _Cinderella _look, you know?" I asked, examining myself once more in the mirror. "I'm not going as a bride. Next costume please." I muttered to myself, struggling with the zipper in the back. The dress had fit me perfectly. I was about ready to give up on costumes and just spend the night of the dance behind the pink counters of Reno's diner, taking orders.

"Are you kidding me, Kelsi?" Sharpay stood and freed me from the dress. "You look _amazing _in this dress, and you _are _buying it." she ordered me. I opened my mouth in protest, but she cut me off. "Who cares about the price? Hell, _I'll _pay for it." That was awfully generous, but I wasn't sure how I was going to get the dress past Reno and my two bratty sisters, but that was far from my mind.

Too far for comfort.

* * *

I held back my chuckle when Riley announced to the dinner table that she and Raine were going to the Halloween dance as Playboy bunnies. I guess I didn't hide it well enough, because all three bleach blonde heads turned in my direction and glared. "Oh, I almost forgot you existed... again." Riley rolled her eyes. "And what are _you _going as? 'Cause it ain't gonna be better than a Playmate." she snapped. Riley was another one of Gabriella's minions, which meant it was her _duty _to hate me. I would sometimes wonder if Gabriella only kept her around because she had the power to ruin my day, even in my own home. 

"That's _if _she's going, right, Mom?"Raine consulted to Reno at the head of the table. Thirteen minutes younger and a head shorter than Riley, Raine was sort of the insecure twin. But she took all of her anger out on me. I would put up a front and show them that it never got to me, but the more they pressed, the harder it got. "It's not like you'll find a costume in time... hey! You could go as a waitress..." Raine and Riley giggled into their overly manicured palms.

"Yeah, who said you're going?" Reno chimed in. That billion dollar dress that I was hiding in my closet said I was going! But I didn't have the courgae to say that. "I have a strong feeling that I'm going to need some extra help in the diner that night, Kelsi." Riley and Raine laughed again. I clenched my fists under the dinner table, fighting the urge to leap across the table and violently yank the blonde hair extensions away from her scalp. ButI was wearing one of Taylor's blouses and I didn't want to give her a blood stained shirt.

I slumped in my chair, knowing that the decision was final. Sharpay had wasted money on me, and once again, Riley and Raine got what they wanted. My one fun-filled night was flushed down the toilet.


	5. Chapter 4 Want To See Them Dancing

**Hey, thanxz for all of the awesome reviews! It took a while to figure out this chapter, but here it is! Hope it's good! It's almost...MANDATORY that it be a short chapter, because the ball scene is better in Kelsi's point of view, but I HAVE to get Troy in here. **

**"Hey, watch it!" I accidentally collided with a goldfish, making him stumble back a few steps. "Why can't people watch where they're going?" he snapped over the loud music, not even bothering to look at who he was talking to. He was busy straightening his costume. When he finally looked up from his glittery, scaly exterior, he looked bewildered. "Oh, I'm sorry, Troy." he apologized. Just because I was _Troy Bolton_, he suddenly thought twice about screaming at me. It was another thing that I hate: that people suddenly changed their attitudes around me and became what they weren't. "Nice costume," he complimented. "Weren't you supposed to be one of the Three Musketeers, though?"**

**"That's what I thought too." I felt a hand come down on my shoulder. I glanced to the right to see Chad. "What are you wearing?" he asked, obviously pissed about how I had backed out of the plan. "We were supposed to be the Three Musketeers, not... not..." he was at a loss for words. Jason appeared behind Chad, noticing my outift and completed Chad's sentence.**

**"Prince Charming?" he cocked his head to the right. A sudden strobe of neon blue light fell on the three of us, revealing Chad and Jason in very uncomfortable tights and awesome wide feathered hats. "What happened to the ladies digging a man with a sword?" I declined on explaining to my friends that my _dad _gave me the outfit, telling me that it suited me well. In fact, I was sort of glad that I had backed out. I didn't need Gabriella bashing our outfit choices... When did I start**** caring about what Gabriella thought? "Now we're just two freaks with swords." Jason shrugged, not as angry as Chad.**

**"Nice going, Troy." Chad elbowed me. The thumping music in the hotel ballroom suddenly became louder and a huge cheer washed over the crowd. We turned toward the carpeted staircase where everyone was making their appearances. "Looks like Gabriella has arrived." Chad rolled his eyes. I stole a glance as a huge spotlight unrealistically fell on them. Gabriella, slowly making her way down the staircase, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular was clad in the same pink bikini she wore every Saturday we lounged by the pool. But she wore it as if it was brand-new and unbelievably expensive. Two of Gabriella's outrageously bitchy-but-hot friends stood behind her both wearing bunny ears and mini skirts, not as breathtaking as Gabriella. I turned from them the second I felt myself actually _wanting_ Gabriella and grabbed my friends' attention. But they were still wrapped up in their glorious entrance.**

**"Why does she have to be so hot? And such a _bitch _at the same time?" Jason shook his head, trying to figure out where Gabriella had gone wrong. But they were my thoughts exactly. As Gabriella and her friends continued to soak in the glory, I noticed her turn and lock glares with me, as if I still regretted dumping her. She was almost telling me with her eyes that I had still made a big mistake. And she made me believe that. And then... she smiled. I shook my head and turned from her, knowing that I was clearly going insane.**

**As the dance turned back to full swing and attention was drawn away from Gabriella, everything seemed to be back in its normal place. "We were _supposed _to take home first place in costumes, Troy."Chad spat at me. "Now, we're just a bunch a geeks in tights, and you get to be Prince Charming." If I had known that it was going to bother Chad that much, I wouldn't have bothered with listening to my dad. But it was too late now...**

**"I guess I'll be taking home the prize then." I shrugged, thinking that a little comic reflief would lighten up the tension. Chad opened his mouth about to spew out a comeback, but Taylor suddenly pushed her way through us, not even bothering to acknowledge us. Chad's eyes followed her in her red East High labcoat, and I suddenly realized why he was so touchy on the Taylor subject: It was because he just couldn't touch the world of Taylor McKessie. "Go after her, dude." I advised, hoping he would forget how angry he was at me. And it worked.**

**"Are you kidding? There is no way she would give me the time of day." Chad rolled his eyes at my ignorance. "She's probably going to find her _date_." he mumbled, pulling his sword out of its sheath, almost gesturing that he would take down any guy for Taylor's heart. In the dim lighting of the dancefloor, I suddenly felt a hand on my wrist.**

**"Come dance with me." The heat of Gabriella's warm breath rolled off of my ear and I was suddenly in a cloud of her signature scent. Who could say no to that? It was almost like her silent apology for being such a snobby brat. I looked to my friends who were both vigorously shaking their heads no. And there was no way they were hiding it. I came to realize that a slow song had mysteriously made its way over the speakers and I was being led away from my friends.**

**"Don't fall for it Troy!" Chad shouted after me.**

**"Yeah, we all know you're a sucker for slow songs and Gabriella's body!" Jason called. **

**But Gabriella just laughed before throwing her hands around my neck. She bit her lip before saying, "Maybe this was all a big mistunderstanding, Troy." Her body pressed to mine and I remembered she had shown up in a bikini. "I'm really sorry. I learned some things after we... broke up." she refused to agree that I had dumped her. "That I really _am _a bitch. So let's make a deal." she smiled. I quickly looked to my friends on the sidelines. They both held looks of disapproval. "You take me back... and help improve in my... bitchiness department." she giggled and smiled innocently. As my hands wrapped around her waist, I thought back to when I had first met Gabriella and all of the pressure that had been put on us to separate. But most of it had come from Chad. His exact words were, _What _****_spell has this elevated IQ temptress girl cast that make you want to audition for a musical? _I felt like I was under the same spell all over again. "So... is it a deal?"**

**She was about to wrap me around her finger all over again. I coud feel it. But I couldn't pull away... I pursed my lips together hoping to keep back the words that were fighting to leap off of my tongue. This really _was _a spell. I felt a hand on my shoulder that turned me around, pulling me away from Gabriella and her hypnotizing ways. Just to get chewed out by Chad and Jason. "You've got to be kidding me, Troy." Chad lectured. "You're getting pulled in all over again. Come on, _grow a spine! _Tell her _no!_..." For a split second, I tuned out Chad as I saw another person coming down the carpeted steps. She didn't look familiar, but she sure was beautiful. I jabbed my elbow to Chad's ribs just as every dancing body at the Halloween dance froze and looked to the staircase.**

**"Dude..." I asked no one in particular. "Who. Is _that?_" I didn't notice how distant and awestruck I sounded. My eyes were fixed on the girl slowly making her way down the steps. The upper half of her face was shielded by a beaded mask, but there was still something about her... just two steps away from the landing, her shoe became tangled in the bottom of her white dress and she tripped, sliding down the rest of the stairs. The entire crowd gasped in unison and I pushed my way forward, hoping to be the only guy that wanted to help her stand up.**

**"Troy!" I heard Gabriella whine behind me. But I ignored her. And almost as if it was _supposed _to happen this way, the crowd parted, and I saw her sitting, surrounded by her white skirt.**

**"Hey," I smiled like I knew this girl perfectly. But truthfully, I still had no idea who she was. I extended my hand to her. "Need help?"**

**The next chapter is coming soon, I promise. Yeah, I know some of you people were thinking that it was going to be exactly like the movie... but it ISN'T... right? I mean, I don't think so. Tell me what you think!**

**One more thing: I'm not sure if you've noticed, bu every chapter title is either the line of a song or the title of a song. Anyone have any suggestions for the next chapter? It has to have something to do with a prince...  
**


	6. Chapter 5 One Day My Prince Will Come

**Hey! Here's the next chapter! Thanxz for all of your reviews!**

**Disclaimer- I know this isn't a disclaimer or anything, but I was just wondering... how did YOU stumble across this website? Was it through a friend? Another website? Cause you gotta admit, this place is a little like Toyland: once you cross its border's you'll never want to go home again. Or something like that. But anywayz, I was looking researching the stars of Life With Derek for the game "Six Steps" in English class, and someone had posted a story on IMBD with a link to this website and I checked it out and the rest is pretty much history.**

"How do I _look?_" Riley slowly turned around in circle on the other side of the pink diner counter. I tried to keep my focus on my sad reflection in the cleaned counter, but Riley made sure she got my attention by leaning against the counter and straightening her fuzzy bunny ears over her platinum blonde part. "It's a shame you can't come to the dance." Riley put on the best fake pout that she could without smudging pink lip gloss against her chin. She suddenly snapped out of her depressed state and shrugged. "But hey, _somebody's _gotta do the dirty work around here, and help is so hard to find these days..." she slapped on her biggest grin and all I could do was wring out the pink rag in my hands, pretending that it was her perfectly perfumed neck.

"Come on, we're going to be late!" Raine appeared from the kitchen pinching her soft pink tights out of her butt crack. I bit my lip to keep back my laughter. They _thought _that I was going to be standing behind a countertop all night, serving a huge crowd of _nobody_. But I was patiently waiting for ten o' clock, when Raine, Riley, and Reno would most definitely be out the door, and Sharpay and Taylor would be sneaking in. "Have fun!" Raine said. And it almost sounded sincere.

"Yeah, have fun _locking up_." Reno whisked by, tossing the restaurant keys onto the counter. "I need you to finish wiping down the counters, and could you pretty please drain the grease out of the fryers?" But Riley and Raine were tugging at their Botoxed mother so they could hit the road and have the time of their lives. "That shouldn't take so much time. Maybe... a few hours?" I glanced to the watch on my arm. It was already 9:56. "Be home by midnight!" Reno called as she was pulled out of the diner doors. I cracked my first smile all night. They were gone.

A sudden tapping on the wide front window caught my attention. Both Taylor and Sharpay were on the other side, their noses pressed against the glass, wearing bigger grins than Riley had. Sharpay held up a white box in victory as they came through the front doors. "How mission impossible is this?" she asked, placing the box gently on a booth table and opened it. The white dress inside looked even better, now that it was purchased and not under artificial light. I sucked in a breath. Was I really going to go through with this? Break my curfew and probably the bond of trust Reno had signed me to? Yes. Because Reno was a bitch. I felt something light hit the top of my head. "How fairy god mother am I?" Sharpay twirled, showing off the pink glittery skirt that surrounded her. In her right hand, she gripped a pink wand, topped with a star. She tapped me lightly on the head once more. "Even though I'm supposed to be The Good Witch..."

"We have approximately twenty minutes before this dance starts. Twenty-nine if we want to be fashionably late." Taylor explained. I looked to my watch, just to confirm her information. "And what is this?" Taylor grabbed my wrist, inspecting the digital watch on my arm. She grimaced. "It's not even a girl's watch." I picked up the white box and headed to the kitchen, peeling off my old skin for the night and getting ready to live in a fairytale world. Even if it was only for a few hours.

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After poking my eyeballs out with contact lenses, trying on the dress four times because it wouldn't fall on my body correctly, and twisting and pulling at my hair, I was finally prepared to go to this dance. But I wasn't _ready_. Well, that was a shame, because the loud music playing on the other side of the red curtain that separated the entryway to the partyroom was almost teasing me. I nervously ran my hands down the torso of the dress, and each smooth piece of lace that touched my fingers was a reminder that I had asked for this. "You ready, Kelsi?" Taylor asked me. I adjusted the beaded mask on my face once more and Taylor ran her eyes over me. "Hate the man watch. Hate the white Keds. But besides that, you look great."

I took in a shaky breath, wondering why I was getting so worked up. Maybe because it was my entrance and I was going to appear in front of all of my peers wearing _sneakers? _I double-checked that my watch was set to go off at 11:30 to make a quick getaway. "Don't worry." Taylor gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "I've got your back." And with that, I was suddenly ready. She pushed me forward, and I was surprised to fee myself take an extra step in confidence.

"Alright, let's do this..." I glanced, over my shoulder, but Taylor was already gone. I was doing this on my own... I pushed the red curtain aside and my feet felt firm steps beneath them. I thought it was going to be easy, that I would casually go down the steps and disappear into the crowds, but the spotlight that fell on me made it difficult. From what I could see, thanks to the blinding lights, some people had frozen, and I could tell that they were looking at me. The loud music that had seeped through the curtains had been lowered, and I could even hear a few murmurs spread through the crowd. I hadn't realized that my feet were still moving.

I was only two steps away... two steps away from mixing in with the crowd, like I always did...

And suddenly, I felt my right Ked twist around my white skirt that surrounded me. I lost my balance and slid down the rest of the way, letting out a small squeal. I could hear gasps as the carpet burned the backs of my legs, and the spotlight followed me the entire time. Great. Just as I was about to jump up and make a run for the curtains, (Thanks to the Keds) a hand extended from the crowd. "Hey," I could hear a familiar voice, but I could only see his outline. "Need help?"

I couldn't believe that in all of that, making a fool of myself and ending up in a pile of lace, beads, and beautiful pattern, that I wasn't beling laughed at. His warm hand wrapped around mine and he pulled me from the marble floor. I immediately leaned towards his chest for support and felt the soft texture of velvet against my skin. "Now that I've saved your social life, do you think that you can repay me with a dance?" he asked. I laughed, not even knowing who I was laughing with, but the voice sounded so familiar...

Before I knew it, I was pulled to the center of the dance floor just as You Raise Me Up blared over the sound system. Some of the boy's features became clearer. "I... uh..." I began, not really knowing where to go next. "Thanks for helping me..." I trailed off, feeling his hands move to the waist of my dress. I could see a smile, somewhere in the dim lighting, but I couldn't place it. I shyly looked away, noticing that it was 10:45. Where were Taylor and Sharpay? And Taylor had said 'she had my back'. Suddenly, a neon green light from the strobe lights above flashed across the boy's face, giving way to two cobalt blue eyes and that same sincere smile. Hold on... was I dancing with...

"Troy!" Another dark figure appeared. "We never finished our deal." she whined. Obviously, my klutziness had interrupted something important. I began to back away, still stuck on the fact that I had _danced _with Troy Bolton. He turned to me, never finishing his conversation with the girl behind him.

"I think I'm going to head outside." I said, shrugging. "You know, get some fresh air..." I was proud that I hadn't given in to wearing spiky high heels, because maneuvering through the crowd was easy in sneakers. I hastily made my way up the stairs, making sure that each foot was firmly on the carpet before taking another. It wasn't until I was on the last step that I realized that Troy was right behind me.

"I'll go with you." This time, his thousand watt smile was visible, and even more blinding than the spotlights that had fallen on us. I shyly made my way into the lobby of the hotel the dance was hosted in, still not believing all of the attention Troy was putting on me. But if he _ever _found out who I really was, I could've kissed that fairytail goodbye.

I looked back to my watch once my eyes had adjusted to the normal lighting of the light fixtures overhead. 11:09. "I swear I've seen you somewhere before..." Troy followed me as I stood in the middle of the spacious, empty lobby. Loud music could still be heard.

"Well, I'm not about to go and ruin the element of surprise." I smiled, surprised that after all of the time we had spent during the production of Twinkle Towne, I still wasn't that familiar to him. But he still got points for trying. I looked down to my reflection in the detailed marble floor, and I actually looked excited. Happy. I was suddenly dancing with him again. But I couldn't help but to look over his shoulder, back to the party, wondering how my friends had disappeared. If Taylor could have seen me then, she would have _died_.

Every minute felt like an hour. Every tiny little step we took across the floor felt like we lifted from the ground. And I found it unbelievable that it was all real. He never pushed on the curiosity of who I was. It was almost as if it was _better _that way. The night became great. I had accomplished the impossible mission. And I knew that once the night was over, I could turn back into pumpkin and actually be okay with that...

Suddenly, my right arm, wrapped around Troy's neck, beeped furiously. It was 11:30 and a few wasted seconds. My plan had to snap into action immediately, otherwise, Reno would discover that I wasn't at home or at the diner. "I've got to go..." I started placing space between us.

"Wait..." his voice cracked as he stepped closer to me. Even over the high-pitched beeping, I could hear him gulp. "I want to know..." he started. "Who's behind the mask?" One hand was wrapped around mine, and the other was slowly making its way towards the elastic of the beaded mask on my face. What was I supposed to do? I felt his thumb under the stretchy elastic and I panicked. His touch felt so nice... No! I couldn't ruin it the night that I had imagined to be so perfect by letting him see that it was _me_. Just Kelsi. Nobody really significant. I tore away from him, heading back towards the red curtains. I had to round up Taylor and Sharpay myself.

It was 11:33 and I was losing time quickly. I batted my way through the endless maze of red velvet and just as the spotlights fell on me, a polite applause went through the crowd. Taylor and Sharpay were on their way up the steps. "You won!" Taylor hugged me happily, even though I had no clue what she was talking about.

"We have to get out of here!" I said close to her ear. "I can't be late!" Not even acknowledging the fact that I 'had won', I threw the curtains apart once more just to slam into Troy on the other side. I couldn't see him. Not now. "I'm really sorry, Troy..." I shouted over the noise. "But I've really got to get going."

"You know who I am?" But I couldn't stop. I could already see myself bursting through my front doors to see Reno impatiently waiting for me. To punish me for breaking curfew. "Wait! Please..." he called after me as I rushed into the lobby, thanking myself once more for wearing Keds. As my head bobbed up and down, the glittery clip that held my hair together began to slide away from my 'do. It could be heard clearly as it clattered against the marble floor and my hair hung loosely around my shoulders.

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"This is so screwy! How did I_ not _win the costume contest?" Riley fumed as she stepped through the front door at midnight. By then, I was reliving the night's events on the living room couch. When she saw me, she smiled. "Oh, well, at least I wasn't rotting away _here _all night." she shrugged and tossed her bunny ears onto the couch. "What's so funny?" she snapped at me, noticing that I had giggled.

"Nothing." Was all I could say. The smile just made me feel the tiniest bit better...

**That was officially the longest chapter I have written, but it's totally the ANTICIPATED moment, right? Leave a review!**


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